


this is where it all begins

by xo_stardust720



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, fluff fluff fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-08-16 04:25:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8087038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xo_stardust720/pseuds/xo_stardust720
Summary: It all starts with the innocent little boy with the messy face and smooshed cupcakes in his hand.
Well, not really.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For Spazzgirl.  
> Prompt: Romanogers - Steve and Nat putting baby James to sleep.

It all starts with the innocent little boy with the messy face and smooshed cupcakes in his hand.

Well, not really.

If one really wanted to get down to the technical details, it all starts with a young woman getting rescued from The Red Room, defecting, and joining SHIELD. It’s years of loneliness, yearnings for a home, secrets of her past that she kept only to herself. Its years of working alongside Clint, and constant missions, an alien invasion, and then The Battle of New York.           

It starts with her heart pounding but playing it cool as she’s introduced to Steve for the very first time. Admiration that grows from watching him jump fearlessly out of planes and going after Tony and Thor to break up their fight. It starts with her jumping off of Steve’s shield as she’s catapulting into the air, and then becoming partners, and helping him adapt to the twenty-first century.

And then there is the mess that was Hydra infiltrating Shield right under their very noses, a kiss on the escalator, them being on the run, and fighting a man long thought to be dead. And right after that, there is losing her mind over the past and losing Bruce along with it, and then there is finding herself again.

That’s when it really starts.

The beginnings of the lingering glances, the comforting touches, more and more time spent together outside of training. The regaining of a close friendship that each had allowed distance to tear apart. Back then, there was a man out of time. Back then, there was a Captain she willingly followed into battle without hesitation. Back then, he was just a friend… a possibility that had never crossed her mind.

Now there is _Steve,_ her husband who loves her.

Her husband who has probably _always_ wanted children.

Her husband who has _never once_ asked her for children.

In the beginning, when they were still figuring out who they wanted to be together, nothing could’ve made Natasha happier; because that was not a fight she wanted to have. The Red Room had made her barren, she couldn’t have children even if she wanted them… though there were other ways to have a child if they wanted. Steve had grown up in a time where it was unacceptable to be married and not have babies, but Natasha figured she wasn’t cut out for that. And as they grew closer, she had in those first few months, spent nights coming up with arguments of why it was a bad idea. The world was too unstable to bring a child into; too much political unrest with the accords and too high a possibility of another war. They were too broken to take care of a child; she had days where she still relived the horrors from The Red Room and he still had nightmares of being trapped in ice. They were constantly away on missions, at some function or another, hardly ever having any time to themselves.

Surely, no child deserved a home like that.

All her carefully planned arguments had been for nothing though, because Steve had never asked. Not even once, in an indirect sort of way, and as the years began rolling by Natasha realized he was never going to, and she had been glad. She was convinced she would make a terrible mother anyway. It was better to never wonder, right? You couldn't miss something you never had.

And then the fatigue started. Along with it came the missed periods, mornings where she was constantly vomiting, and increased urination. Her breasts were tender and swollen, she got dizzy more often, headaches and back pain. Nothing surprised her more than when the doctor came in and gave her the news that she was pregnant.

Apparently the super serum really was _super_.

Natasha almost wanted to run. She was nine weeks along, her stomach still flat and no baby bump in sight. And she was absolutely panic-stricken over the knowledge that there was a life growing inside of her. Her baby. Steve’s baby. _Their baby._ She didn’t know whether to think it a curse or a miracle. She bursts into tears, because she’s terrified; so, so terrified but she’s also happy and there is no way those two emotions are staying inside of her without some kind of release. That's what threw her for a loop the most, the fact that she was _happy._ It was extremely confusing.

She’s in a coffee shop after, avoiding the fact that she needs to go home and tell Steve, when she first sees them. A young couple, probably in their mid-twenties, sitting at a table in the corner and off in their own little world. Between them sits their little boy, green eyes and blonde hair, and his cheeks full as his mother attempts to feed him some sweets. There’s laughter, and kisses, and happy smiles all around.

_The innocent little boy with the messy face and smooshed cupcakes in his hand._

Something hot curls in her stomach as she watches the happy little family. Something that she’s pretty sure is envy, mixed in with what she’s afraid is a good dose of plain old, terrifying _want._ And all the way home, Natasha can’t stop thinking about the little boy she saw; she looks down at her still-flat stomach and imagines a little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, the splitting image of his father.

And then she knows it like any truth down to her very soul.

_She wants this. She wants the chance to be a mother. She wants Steve’s baby._

_It’s a miracle._

Before she knows it, she’s back at home and it occurs to her that she has no idea how to tell Steve what is happening. And it’s not that she’s afraid that he’ll be upset; he won’t be, she knows this. He’ll be overjoyed. It’s just that she wants it to be special because it could be their only one, and Natasha isn’t all that great at special. And in the end, she sort of goes about it in a nonchalant way as she kisses him straight away as soon as he walks through the door. Because you know what? The very fact that she's pregnant is special all in of itself.

He blinks when she draws back, his eyes beginning to darken with desire, but before he can formulate a reply, Natasha hands him a cupcake that she had purchase from the coffee shop earlier that afternoon. She has the pleasure of watching his whole body freeze, before he returns his gaze to her and asks warily, “Did I forget an occasion?” and she can almost see him rack his brain desperately trying to figure out what he has missed.

“Yes,” she says, and she can’t stop the smile from appearing on her face and she laughs. “But it’s not one we’ve ever celebrated before, so you get a pass this time. Next year however, you better remember it.”

Steve searches her face, still holding onto the cupcake. “Okay,” he says slowly, his confusion evident. “So, are you going to tell me, or do you want me to guess?”

She takes a deep breath and gathers all of her courage. She grabs his free hand from where it’s resting on the small of her back and brings it to her stomach, before she says softly, “you’re going to be a daddy.”

It takes a few seconds for the news to sink in, and he drops the cupcake, right on it top and the frosting smears on the floor, but the stunned smile of disbelief and joy that bursts on his face and shines brighter than the sun more than makes up for that. “Nat… are you serious? You’re pregnant? We’re having a baby?” He babbles, bringing her closer to him.

She nods, and he lets out a delighted laugh before kissing her hard, drawing her into his arms and holding her tight as if he’ll never let her go. “I love you!” he says feverently. “I love you, I love you!"

And Natasha can’t help but laugh along with him because yes, she’s scared, but she has Steve and she knows they’ll be alright.

 

* * *

 

It all ends with the innocent little boy with the messy face and smooshed cupcakes in his hand.

Well, not really.

 

Wails filled the air and Natasha gently lifts James from his crib and holds him close to her chest and shushes him.  She brings him over to their bed and leans against the pillows, humming a soft melody that calms his cries. She breathes in James’ scent and relaxes as a pair of arms encircle her and she looks over at Steve, her lips forming into a wide grin at the look of love in his eyes.

They both look down at the result of what their love had made. Their miracle.

It starts with their little boy, with strawberry blonde hair and green eyes and is the splitting image of his father.

James is fast asleep, safe in his mother’s arms. Both of them safe in Steve’s arms.

And life is perfect.

 


End file.
